Informal polls

In general  Informal surveys can be used to gain a general sense of what a group of people think about an issue.  Not rigidly, statistically based.  Surveys tell communicators what people think about a topic - Generate responses

Localization  Informal surveys can allow us to localize (gauge local opinion) on a topic:  For example – Legal medical marijuana - Good idea or bad idea? - Why or why not? Explain - College students vs. others? - Other questions?

Survey topics  Issue in the news: - MSU football team’s hot start - Upcoming election - End of ban on gays in military  Ongoing issues: - Economy - Roads - Environment

Keep in mind  A survey does not: - Give us the opinion of the entire community. - It gives us the general opinion of the group of people surveyed. - Make sure when you present your story/report, you assemble it accordingly

Questions  Your survey questions should be a mix: - Closed ended questions – what are they? Why ask these? - Open ended questions – what are they? Why ask these?

How many questions?  People are busy. Better chance of response if you have fewer questions.  Ask no more questions than you need in your survey.  What’s a good number?

How many people?  Depends on your audience, the population you are trying to survey, etc.  Tons of variables as to how many responses you will receive.  For a typical campus issue story, probably works.  Round number of surveys sent out.

How many responses?  Again, there are many variables with response rate.  More>fewer responses  If you need to, send out more surveys.  If few people respond, might that be part of the story?

Who should I survey?  Depends on your topic.  CMU-related topic – best to survey CMU-related audience members.  Equal number of men and women? Depends on topic.  Equal number of freshmen and seniors? Depends on topic.

Who should I survey? Cont.  Looking for a wide variety of opinions related to your topic.  For example: Want to do a story on how international students view CMU.  Who do we survey?  Report on bike paths. Who to survey?  Report on dorm food. Who to survey?

Survey characteristics  Have your questions move in a logical order.  Start with explanation of the issue. Summarize quickly, but clearly.  Alternate closed and open-ended? - For example …

Example  1. Do you support stem cell research in Michigan? (Closed-ended)  2. Can you please explain your answer to question one? (Open-ended)  3. Do you think stem cells should be used in commercial research? (Closed)  4. Is there a moral or societal reason not to use stem cells in for-profit ventures?

Logical order  Having the questions go in a logical order:  Helps to focus the respondent  Lets the respondent get comfortable with the survey – no odd twists  Can speed the process – good for more responses.

I’ve got responses!  Now what?  Look over the results – any trends?  Interesting open-ended responses … good for quotes?  Or might it be interesting to talk to that person further?  Do I have enough responses? Send out more?

Assembling the info  Reports, statistics, document research – done before questions formulated and surveys sent.  Review that along with responses.  What angle/focus should my report take?

Writing the story - lead  Lead - let’s hook the reader.  Two approaches: - Describe the major finding. “A survey of 50 CMU students found that most do not support a new medical school on campus.” - That’s one approach. Is it very interesting?

The lead, part two …  Joe Smith came to CMU to become a teacher. He wonders why the tuition he pays is helping to fund a medical school.  “CMU should stick to doing what it does best – educating undergraduate Michigan residents,” he said. “I don’t want my money paying for a medical school.”

Continued …  Smith was one of 37 CMU students in a 50-student survey who said the medical school is not a good idea for the university.  Second lead – uses an average person to introduce. Why do that? Good approach or not?

Rest of story …  Two or three paragraphs after lead should tell us the survey findings.  Arrange in logical order, flow smoothly from one point to another.  Mix in direct quotes with results. Quotes from survey responses, or if you collected others via interview after.

Rest of story, cont.  Clear, smooth transitions from one point to the next.  Avoid anonymous sources.  If someone doesn’t want their name used for whatever reason, and you are OK with that, identify why. Example …  Beyond name, other identifying characteristics? Year, hometown, major, age, gender, etc. Why or why not?

Be careful with …  Wording that may criticize or attach labels to survey answers.  Thoughtful, interesting, insightful  Bizarre, strange, uninformed  Just tell us what the respondents said, and use the word “said.”

Multimedia  Graphics/charts/polls with our report?  Link to any statistical reports report uses  Sidebar talking to experts?  Short video interviews?  Photos, maps, etc.

Surveys, summary  Are like a cousin to polls. Are not polls.  Give us an idea of what some people think about an issue.  Do not write report as if everyone thinks that way about an issue.  Good for generating a variety of responses.

Surveys, process 1. Topic – idea, then research 2. Formulate questions 3. Send out surveys 4. Gather, consider results 5. Plan report – lead/intro? 6. Write report 7. Present/turn in

Questions?